10 Tips to Destress & Reduce Anxiety

Are you looking for ideas on how to destress? Or maybe you’re wondering what to do when you’re feeling anxious? Today I’m sharing some of the tips and tricks that have helped me to reduce my stress and anxiety when life gets tough.

These tips help me stay sane and grounded during a time when things may seem like they’re unraveling a little bit.I hope they’re helpful for you too!

My 10 Tips To Destress & Reduce Anxiety

1. Keep your Attention on What Strengthens Your Mind & Body

It can be easy to fall victim to what’s happening around you, but it’s important to pause and take things step by step. Don’t get frazzled and remember that there are plenty of things still within your control.

One of the biggest things you can control is what goes on inside your mind, what you want to give your attention to. Use your mind, thoughts, and imagination to support you – your health, your wellness, and your body. Don’t let your brain go off and predict the worst case scenario – instead, picture something beautiful for yourself!

If you do find your mind going to the worst case scenario – that’s okay! It’s perfectly normal to do that. Use it as an opportunity to redirect your thoughts to the present moment and choose something that’s going to serve you better.

This is where your greatest power lies, so if you want to focus on just one thing on this list, this is the once you should choose.

2. LIMIT YOUR MEDIA CONSUMPTION

While you don’t want to bury your head in the sand, you do need to be smart about how much you’re tuning in to the media.Read the headlines, make sure you’re up to date on the latest and what things you might need to know, then move on with your day.

You don’t want to be sitting in front of the TV all day long consuming information that might make you feel afraid or anxious. This is likely going to put you in a fear based state.

There’s a quote that I like that speaks to this fear:

“Fear not, There’s a lot of information coming at us and it’s changing from moment to moment. That can be scary, but fear not. Fear is an energy and it attracts the very thing we want to avoid.” ~Ilanya Vanzant

Sometimes we don’t ever realize we’re in this state of fear when we try and stay informed, but if you’re doing it too much it can cause more harm than good. You definitely want to be mindful of your media consumption.

3. SUPPORT YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM

Again, this is something within your control! Don’t overthink this, there are a number of simple things you can do to support your immune system, such as:

limiting your sugar intake,

incorporating more greens into your diet,

putting lemon, ginger, and turmeric into tea or hot water (you can use my recipe for Ginger Turmeric Tea),

These are all easy, straight-forward ideas to help your immune system stay strong.

4. CREATE & STICK TO A ROUTINE

If you’re not on your regular routine, I encourage you to establish a new, temporary routine for yourself. Giving yourself permission to unravel during a tough situation isn’t going to serve you.

It may feel hard to stay disciplined and put yourself on a routine, but you can do hard things and will be better off for it. Practice a new routine until you find one that feels right, then practice staying with it.

Make sure to include movement in your routine! Getting some type of exercise and getting fresh air. Schedule them in to your day to make sure you’re incorporating them as they can help maintain your sanity.

5. DON’T ARGUE WITH REALITY

Sometimes when we’re stressed or afraid, we go into a blame game. We want to figure out who we can blame or why it shouldn’t have happened in the first place. We go into our mind and make up stories that don’t serve us or change the present reality. The only thing this will do is leave you feeling horrible.

Life is life. There are going to be things that are out of your control. We don’t need to understand each and every one of them, we just have to allow ourselves to experience it and accept what is happening. Practice allowing yourself to feel the raw emotions without having to blame or project it onto something or someone else.

6. ASK FOR HELP

Reach out for support if you need it!This is especially true if you’re in a support role for others (like those in the medical profession). Give yourself permission to take the time you need when you need it. There are a lot of options for people you can reach out to, like:

7. CONNECT WITH YOUR inner SELF

This could mean meditating, journaling, praying – whatever it is that you do to look within (or to a higher power). Even if you do it for just 5 to 10 minutes a day, it gives you the opportunity to quiet the outside world, to ground and connect to yourself or whatever you may believe in, and to provide a bit of sanity in an otherwise chaotic time.

Think of it like putting your head underwater. You cancel out the noise so you can come back to your home, your inner quiet.

This is a really good practice to try and incorporate into your daily routine. One thing I like to do is journal, and some questions I like to ask myself during a difficult time are:

How is this exact situation perfect for me right now?

What about this scenario is serving me?

How is this situation growing or evolving me?

There’s always a nugget of wisdom in these moments, so use this as an opportunity for yourself and get really curious.

8. CLEAN YOUR SPACE

In addition to clearing clutter from your mind, clearing clutter from your physical space can help too! Clean your closets, reorganize your drawers, even tackle a home project if you have time. Create an opportunity to get something done.

9. THINK POSITIVELY ABOUT THE FUTURE

Take some time to think about your summer or something fun that’s coming up. Or make a vision board! Whatever you think about, project your attention forward.

Sometimes when you get caught up in a stressful moment or length of time it can feel very doom and gloom. But it’s not – things will eventually change. Use this opportunity to think about something you want to do, a place you want to go, or something you want to create. Daydream a little and have some fun with your imagination!

10. GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION TO RELAX

Whatever stressful situation you’re in, worrying about it won’t make it go away any quicker. Find ways to let let yourself relax and ease your anxiety a bit. Maybe it’s playing a board game with your family, reading a book, or putting some music on (that one always helps me).

Fearing and obsessing is not going to serve you – it may be natural to experience fear, but how can you relax? This likely isn’t the first time you’ve experienced stress or fear, and it won’t be the last. But it will come to an end eventually, so think about how can you lean in and relax a little about the situation you’re facing.

I hope these tips help! Know I’m always supporting you and am here for you, and want to show up for you in any way I can. xo

About Dani

Dani Spies is the founder and host of Clean & Delicious; a weekly cooking show on YouTube and a healthy eating blog that celebrates real, whole foods! She takes a holistic approach to health and wellness and is loved for her approachable, down to earth style both in and out of the kitchen.